LION HUNTING ON THE KAPITI PLAINS 69 



and found that we felt alike on all the big questions, and 

 looked at life, and especially the life of effort led by the 

 pioneer settler, from the same stand-point. They reminded 

 me, at every moment, of those Western ranchmen and home- 

 makers with whom I have always felt a special sense of com- 

 panionship and with whose ideals and aspirations I have 

 always felt a special sympathy. A couple of months before 

 my visit, Harold Hill had met with a rather unpleasant 

 adventure. He was walking home across the lonely plains, 

 in the broad daylight, never dreaming that lions might be 

 abroad, and was unarmed. When still some miles from 

 his house, while plodding along, he glanced up and saw 

 three lions in the trail only fifty yards off, staring fixedly 

 at him. It happened to be a place where the grass was 

 rather tall, and lions are always bold where there is the 

 slightest cover; whereas, unless angered, they are cautious 

 on bare ground. He halted, and then walked slowly to 

 one side; and then slowly forward toward his house. The 

 lions followed him with their eyes, and when he had passed 

 they rose and slouched after him. They were not pleasant 

 followers, but to hurry would have been fatal; and he walked 

 slowly on along the road, while for a mile he kept catching 

 glimpses of the tawny bodies of the beasts as they trod 

 stealthily forward through the sunburned grass, alongside 

 or a little behind him. Then the grass grew short, and the 

 lions halted and continued to gaze after him until he dis- 

 appeared over a rise. 



Everywhere throughout the country we were crossing 

 were signs that the lion was lord and that his reign was 

 cruel. There were many lions, for the game on which they 

 feed was extraordinarily abundant. They occasionally took 



